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Endorsements

El Paso Times Editorial Board

Posted:
10/20/2012 12:00:00 AM MDT

16th Congressional District -- Beto O'Rourke

Our most powerful political position should go to a person who can put El Paso's face on the national map. This city needs that boost. The charismatic, well-educated and well-spoken Beto O'Rourke is that person. He has what it takes to be our national-level breadwinner by using his diplomatic demeanor to show Congress and others the importance of this region to the rest of the nation:

Foreign trade.

National border security technology and international bridge flow.

Helping us truly become the Medical Center of the Americas.

And he strongly emphasizes the need to help the more than 70,000 U.S. military veterans in this area get the top-quality services they earned while serving our country.

On the campaign trail, O'Rourke is talking jobs for El Pasoans. One in nine jobs here are part of trade with Mexico. O'Rourke points out more jobs would be created here if something can be done about long wait times on our international bridges. He plans to make that, and veterans affairs, top priorities in Congress.

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O'Rourke is a natural for this position. He's one among several young, smart and energetic leaders in El Paso's new political delegation.

We urge voters to send Beto O'Rourke to Congress on Nov. 6.

23rd Congressional District -- Pete Gallego

Alpine's Pete Gallego has long been a good friend of El Paso in his role as a state representative. We now need this fellow West Texan as an ally in Washington, D.C.

Gallego is running for the congressional seat that represents about 100,000 El Paso County residents in a district that spans from a part of our Lower Valley to San Antonio.

This is a chance for El Paso to have two U.S. representatives with El Paso ties, and with El Paso's needs on their agenda. The rest of our city, more than half a million people, are represented by the District 16 representative.

We especially like Gallego's forte of working as a moderate. As he said, "Congress needs coalitions" to get positive actions going again.

Gallego said he will work to maintain Medicare and Social Security, citing District 23's aging population. He said the Veterans Administration is underfunded and he will work to rectify that.

"The system needs moderate people who are practical," Gallego said.

We urge District 23 voters to send Pete Gallego to Congress on Nov. 6.

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